The director of the Giro d'Italia has stated the somewhat obvious in saying that Tadej Pogačar would be very welcome at next year’s race, but insisted that the route's incursion into Slovenia is not designed as a bid to tempt the world's best rider onto the start line.
Pogačar has enjoyed taking the opportunity to race on home soil in the past, as evidenced by his two titles at the Tour of Slovenia and his huge disappointment at having to miss this year's European Championships in Ljubljana.
The route for the 2027 Giro d'Italia, unveiled on Tuesday, features two stages on Slovenian soil, with the opening stage crossing the border between the start and finish in Trieste, and the second stager taking place entirely in Slovenia, between Ljubljana and Koper.
This has widely been viewed as an attempt to lure Pogačar to the Giro for only the second time in his career, three years on from his dominant victory in 2024, but this notion was played down by the new Director of Cycling at race organiser RCS Sport, Luca Guercilena.
"Tadej is clearly the man of the moment, so he would be more than welcome at the Giro d'Italia, absolutely," Guercilena said in a video interview published byLa Gazzetta dello Sport following the route presentation in Rome.
"The stages in Slovenia are made primarily for the Slovenian fans. Given the proximity of Slovenia to Italy – and specifically to the Friuli Venezia Giulia region – which plays a key role in this Giro, it felt like the right thing to do.
"From a purely cycling perspective, Slovenia is currently producing a great number of champions for our beloved sport, so it felt only fitting to pass through Slovenian territory. If Pogačar were to come, he would certainly be welcome."
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The Giro, by contrast, has 57km against the clock, but 19km of that is in an uphill time trial, while there are seven summit finishes and key climbing tests even before we reach the brutal final week with a monster queen stage 16 and the final act atop the Zoncolan on stage 20.
"I believe this Giro is well-balanced. While the mountain stages are truly significant and demanding, the race’s defining characteristic is the alternation between these tough stages, easier ones, and time trials. This gives all athletes, regardless of their individual strengths, a chance to shine," Guercilena said.
"The goal is to attract top-tier riders, who will surely recognise that an iconic stage like the one to Aprica, featuring two ascents of the Mortirolo and the Gavia, is a gift to the fans, as well as a chance for riders to add a legendary, high-profile stage win to their palmarès."
Pogačar tempted but unlikely to attend
As for whether Pogačar will be attracted, it seems unlikely at this point, even with the Slovenian stages. The five-time Tour de France champion has already indicated his preference for combining the Tour with the Vuelta a España, where he has unfinished business after crashing out while in the lead this year.
A Vuelta title would round out Pogačar’s palmarès as a winner of all three Grand Tours, and would leave more space in the Spring to target the Classics, with Paris-Roubaix similarly the final Monument on his checklist.
"Even though I'd rather ride the Giro, I'll have to tick off the Vuelta at some point too. I think that will be the goal for next year," he said recently.
"I think I still need some time to really analyse what I really want for next year. And I think the final decision will be done in December, where we have another training camp."
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Patrick is an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish) and a decade’s experience in digital sports media, largely within the world of cycling. He re-joined Cyclingnews as Deputy Editor in February 2026, having previously spent eight years on staff between 2015 and 2023. In between, he was Deputy Editor at GCN and spent 18 months working across the sports portfolio at Future before returning to the cycling press pack. Patrick works across Cyclingnews’ wide-ranging output, assisting the Editor in global content strategy, with a particular focus on shaping CN's news operation.
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